FS-DOC-01Operations
Launch Plan
Cash Flow Forecasting Automation
[YourCompany.com] · Finance Department · Prepared by FullSpec · [Today's Date]
This Launch Plan covers everything you need to know about how your Cash Flow Forecasting automation will be built, tested, and handed over. It is written for the business owner and finance lead, not a technical audience. FullSpec handles every part of the build, configuration, and testing. Your role is to provide access to your existing tools and to review the forecast once it is live. Nothing in this document requires you to write code or configure any system yourself.
01What you're launching
Right now, someone on your team spends around four hours every Monday pulling bank balances from Xero, downloading accounts receivable reports, checking Stripe for pending payouts, and pasting everything into a spreadsheet before the finance lead can even begin their review. Transactions get miscategorised, formulas break, and the forecast regularly lands in inboxes well into the afternoon. This automation replaces that manual data assembly entirely. Three agents run on a fixed Monday schedule, collect and categorise all the financial data, and write it into your existing Google Sheet before your team arrives at their desks. The finance lead still reviews, adjusts, and approves the forecast. Distribution then happens automatically within minutes of that approval.
Process
Cash Flow Forecasting
Trigger
Scheduled automation fires every Monday morning at 8 am
Final output
A PDF forecast emailed to stakeholders via Gmail and a formatted cash summary posted to the Slack finance channel, both triggered by the finance lead's approval in Google Sheets
Agents being built
3 agents: Data Collection Agent, Categorisation Agent, Distribution Agent
Tools involved
Xero, Stripe, Google Sheets, Gmail, Slack
Volume
Approximately 4 forecast cycles per month, running weekly every Monday
Launch PlanPage 1 of 4
FS-DOC-01Operations
02How the build works
The build runs across four stages: Connect, Build, Test, and Launch. Each stage has a defined set of tasks split between the FullSpec team and your team. The stages run in sequence, and each one must be completed before the next begins. The total delivery window for the Standard build is four weeks, assuming API access is available from day one and the existing Google Sheets forecast model is stable. FullSpec manages all technical configuration, agent logic, and integration wiring. Your involvement at each stage is limited to providing access and confirming a small number of business decisions.
Build complexity: Moderate. Estimated delivery window: 4 weeks (approximately 20 business days). The delivery clock starts at the close of Connect, not payment. Until API credentials are confirmed and the categorisation rules are agreed, the build cannot begin.
1Connect
Business days 1 to 3
FullSpec
Reviews your existing Google Sheets forecast model and Xero chart-of-accounts structure. Confirms all API connection requirements for Xero, Stripe, Google Sheets, Gmail, and Slack. Documents the stakeholder distribution list and agrees categorisation rules with your finance lead.
You
Provide API credentials or admin access for Xero, Stripe, Google Sheets, Gmail, and Slack. Confirm the categorisation rules for transaction coding. Share the current forecast spreadsheet and confirm it is structurally stable.
2Build
Business days 4 to 15
FullSpec
Builds the Data Collection Agent with Xero and Stripe API connections, Monday schedule trigger, pagination handling, and retry logic. Builds the Categorisation Agent with rules-based coding logic, Google Sheets write step, and flagging behaviour for low-confidence transactions. Builds the Distribution Agent with Google Sheets approval trigger, PDF export, Gmail send, and Slack post.
You
Remain available to answer questions about specific transaction categories or edge cases in the forecast model. No technical action required during this stage.
3Test
Business days 16 to 18
FullSpec
Runs two full end-to-end test cycles using live data from Xero and Stripe. Validates categorisation accuracy, checks that the Google Sheets write step preserves existing formulas and chart ranges, and confirms that the PDF export and distribution steps complete correctly. Fixes any issues identified before handover.
You
Reviews the test forecast outputs alongside your current manual forecast to confirm figures match. Raises any discrepancies or concerns to the FullSpec team before sign-off.
4Launch
Business days 19 to 20
FullSpec
Moves the automation to the live environment, confirms the Monday schedule is active, and monitors the first live run. Delivers all six supporting documents including the SOP and Developer Handover Pack. Provides a handover walkthrough with your finance lead.
You
Finance lead completes the first live review and approval in the Google Sheet. Manual forecast rebuild process is retired. Contact support@gofullspec.com for any post-launch questions.
Launch PlanPage 2 of 4
FS-DOC-01Operations
03What FullSpec needs from you
FullSpec needs only access to your existing tools. No technical knowledge is required from your side. You do not need to build anything, configure any API, or understand how the agents work internally. The table below lists exactly what is needed from each tool and when. Everything in this list should be in place before the Connect stage closes so the build can start without delay.
Xero
Admin-level API credentials or an OAuth connection authorised by a Xero administrator. Read access to bank transactions, AR ageing, and bills is required.
Before Connect closes
Stripe
Restricted API key with read access to payouts and balance transactions. No write access is needed.
Before Connect closes
Google Sheets
Editor access to the master forecast spreadsheet shared with the FullSpec service account. The sheet structure must be confirmed as stable.
Before Connect closes
Gmail
An authorised Gmail account (typically the bookkeeper or finance lead's address) to send the forecast PDF. OAuth consent must be granted.
Before Connect closes
Slack
A Slack app or bot token with permission to post to the finance channel. The channel name must be confirmed.
Before Connect closes
One decision you must confirm before Connect closes: agree the categorisation rules for your chart of accounts. The Categorisation Agent's accuracy depends entirely on a stable, agreed list of how transaction types map to forecast lines. If your Xero coding has been inconsistent historically, FullSpec recommends a brief cleanup of transaction categories before the build begins. This is the single biggest factor in first-run accuracy and cannot be resolved after the build starts without rework.
04Your role once live
Role
Ongoing responsibilities
What you no longer touch
You (business owner / finance lead)
Open the pre-populated Google Sheet each Monday. Review flagged transactions and apply any manual assumptions or adjustments that require business judgement. Set the approval cell to Approved when satisfied. Contact support@gofullspec.com if a run appears to have failed or figures look unexpected.
Logging into Xero or Stripe to export data. Pasting figures into the spreadsheet. Manually categorising transactions. Formatting the report and exporting to PDF. Emailing the forecast or posting to Slack.
FullSpec
Monitors the automation infrastructure and responds to any alerts or failures. Maintains API connections as tool providers update their APIs. Available at support@gofullspec.com for configuration changes such as updating the distribution list, adjusting categorisation rules, or modifying the Slack channel.
Not applicable. FullSpec does not touch the business judgement steps. The finance lead's review and approval remains entirely in your hands.
Launch PlanPage 3 of 4
FS-DOC-01Operations
05What success looks like
Timeframe
What to expect
Sign of success
Week 1
The automation runs its first live Monday cycle. Data from Xero and Stripe lands in the Google Sheet before 9 am. The finance lead reviews the pre-populated forecast, applies adjustments, and approves it. The PDF is emailed and the Slack summary is posted automatically within minutes of approval. Some flagged transactions may require manual coding as the categorisation agent learns the edge cases in your chart of accounts.
The forecast is reviewed and approved before midday on Monday without the bookkeeper having to pull any data manually. The finance lead receives a sheet that is already populated and ready to review.
Month 1
Four weekly cycles have completed automatically. The categorisation agent's flagged-item list shortens as the agreed coding rules cover more of the transaction types seen in practice. The distribution list is confirmed and the PDF format is consistent. Any minor issues identified in the first two runs have been resolved by FullSpec.
The bookkeeper's Monday morning is no longer anchored to the forecast. The finance lead's active time on the forecast is under 30 minutes per week. Stakeholders receive the PDF before 9 am every Monday.
Month 3
The automation has run approximately 12 cycles without manual intervention on the data collection or categorisation steps. The process is fully embedded into the team's weekly rhythm. Hours saved are tracking at approximately 3.2 hours per week against the original 4-hour benchmark, and the annual cost saving trajectory is on course for $8,000. The payback period of 3 months from the build cost of $2,800 has been reached.
The weekly forecast is treated as a reliable, self-running process. The finance lead's role is purely one of review and approval. No one on the team is spending time on spreadsheet assembly.
Next step: to get started, reply to your FullSpec confirmation email or contact support@gofullspec.com with the subject line 'Cash Flow Forecasting, ready to connect'. The FullSpec team will schedule the Connect session and send you a short checklist to prepare your tool access in advance. The build clock starts the moment Connect closes.
Launch PlanPage 4 of 4